[UK]Father desperate to be a woman almost dies while performing DIY sex change with a Stanley KNIFEA father almost bled to death after he tried to slice off his penis during a DIY sex change.Kirsty Cass, formerly known as Andy, was so unhappy living as a man that he took a Stanley knife to his genitals and tried to sever the organ.Miss Cass, from Crawley, West Sussex, was unable to stop the bleeding and had to call an ambulance. She was taken to Royal Surrey Hospital where doctors saved her life by reattaching the penis.

[India]Livelihood project for transgendersHijiras, for whom begging on trains have been the principal means of earning their livelihood so far, are set to undergo a dignified change, courtesy an endeavour of Sakha, a community-based organization for transgenders, to impart earning skills to sexual minorities. Satyasundar Mishra, president of Sakha, said 50 hijiras have been taking part in a three-day training on mushroom cultivation. The organization would impart beauty parlour and tailoring skills too, he said.

[Thailand]Ladyboy Claims MistreatmentMr. Worarat Sonyod, a ladyboy, aged 50 claimed he was mistreated by a Pattaya Police Volunteer while he was driving home, after finishing his massage work on Sunday at 3 am.

[Canada]Discrimination in Ontario Catholic schoolsDiscrimination extends beyond the treatment of queer youth in Ontario Catholic schools, in both the silencing of students with alternative views and in rules governing hiring practices.

[USA] Senator Kay Hagan Co-Sponsors Employment Non-Discrimination ActToday, Senator Kay Hagan (D-NC) announced that she has signed on as a co-sponsor of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), federal legislation that would prohibit workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. With Hagan’s support, every Democratic member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, which has jurisdiction over ENDA, is a co-sponsor – as well as Republican committee member Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL). Hagan has been a strong supporter of equality in the Senate, voting for hate crimes protections and the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” and we are glad to see her continue that leadership by becoming an ENDA co-sponsor.

[USA] The Illicit, Perilous World Of 'Pumping'The American Society of Plastic Surgeons is launching a public safety campaign Monday. It follows many cases of procedures gone wrong at the hands of unqualified surgeons, including 'pumpers' who illegally inject industrial-grade silicone into patients. The practice leads to dire health problems, even death. Guest host Jacki Lyden learns more with Laura Rena Murray, who recently reported this issue for the New York Times, and Dr. Malcolm Roth, the new president of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

[IL, USA] Switching genders requires more than surgeryDr. Loren Schechter thinks the surgery he performs to help people change genders is much more than a medical procedure.It's the final result of a person's often torturous and years-long effort to have his or her body conform to the gender he or she feels, he said.